Equity in Education: An International Comparison of Pupil Perspectives

This book examines young people's experiences of justice in schools and beyond, and relates these experiences to the development of their personal sense of justice and the criteria they use to decide whether something is fair or not. The book includes the views and experiences of potentially disadvantaged pupils, including those with learning difficulties, or behavioural problems, those apparently less suited to an academic 'trajectory', recent immigrants, those learning through a second language, or who are from socio-economically deprived backgrounds. Based on research from across Europe and Japan, the analysis considers the characteristics of the schools that pupils attend, the pupils' own family and social background, their indicators of disadvantage, and their developing sense of justice. The authors examine their experiences and the potential impact of their experiences on well-being, work, relations at school, involvement in tasks, and results, plus perseverance in school, ethical and civic judgements, trust in institutions, and unfairness in general. This provides important indications for policy-makers and practitioners about the role of school organisation, and the behaviour of teachers, in creating equity and helping to form pupils' sense of justice. Pupils have quite clear views on what is fair, and are generally willing and able to express those views. Are research users willing to acknowledge and act on those views?

Table of Contents:
Preface Re-considering What Schools are For Querying the Traditional Role of Schools in Attainment Why Schools Might Matter Why Teachers Might Matter The Importance of Listening to Pupils Listening to Pupils in Different Countries International Comparisons of Pupil Experiences The Notions of Justice Used by Different Groups of Pupils The Experiences of Pupils Educated Otherwise Identifying the Determinants of Justice The Practical Implications of Reconsidering What Schools Are For Appendix References Index

About the Author :
STEPHEN GORARD is Professor of Education Research at the University of Birmingham, UK. Recent publications include Overcoming the Barriers to Higher Education; Adult Learning in the Digital Age and Teacher Supply: The Key Issues. He is particularly interested in the process and quality of research, having recently led the UK ESRC Research Capacity-building Network, and an ESRC Researcher Development Initiative to improve the understanding of randomised controlled trials in social science. EMMA SMITH is Reader in the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. She is interested in equity issues in the field of education and in the role that educational policy can play in reducing inequalities and closing achievement gaps. She is a former Chemistry teacher and SENCO and is currently carrying out research into pupils' views of fairness in school, as well as into patterns of participation in Higher Education science programmes.